“Though beginningless, it has an end.
It is pure by nature and has the quality of permanence.
It is unseen because it is obscured by a beginningless covering.
Like, for example, a golden statue that has been obscured.”
That was taught (by the Buddha).

“All beings are Buddhas,
But obscured by incidental stains.
When those have been removed, there is Buddhahood.”
That is a quotation from a Tantra.

The “element” has no creator,
But is given this name because it retains its own characteristics.
“Beginningless” means that
There is nothing previous to it.
The “time” is that very instant.
It hasn’t come from somewhere else.

Therefore, the purifiednadis, vayus, and bindus are the pureform kayas.
The unpurified are the impure form kayas.
For example, the qualities of an encrusted
Beryl are not evident.
When it is cleaned with yak-hair cloth and salty-water,
And cleaned with vinegar and woollen cloth,Purified, it becomes the jewel that fulfils all needs and desires.

When incorrect conceptualisation
Encounters correct conceptualisation,
Just as both (kindling-) sticks are burned by the fire, there is freedom from (both) conceptualisations.
There is freedom from the concepts of elimination,
Remedies, suchness, and the idea of a result.

Why were the shastras written? One reason why the shastras that are collected in the Tangyur were written is because the Buddha’s teachings are so vast and a beginner would find it very tedious to gain an understanding of a specific topic from the original texts collected in the Kangyur, which are not organized in an accessible way. The Buddha replied to individuals who asked questions in different places and under other circumstances, therefore the teachings are answers to specific questions. Pupils living somewhere else asked other questions and received different answers. The vast amount of teachings are therefore scattered throughout the sutras and not organized according to topics in a single volume, so it is not possible for us to learn what we wish to know from the many sutras. This is the reason why great masters composed treatises in which they collected and compiled a subjectmatter from the various sources into one text. A shastra deals with one subject found in many sutras. This is one reason why the shastras are important and precious - a topic is accessible.

Furthermore, shastras clearly explain profound subjects. Some pupils think that only knowing what the Buddha said suffices and have deep faith, while other pupils are more inquisitive. For example, in The Prajnaparamitasutra we read, There are no eyes, no ears, no tongue (…). Some students have conviction in this statement and rely upon the Buddha’s words. Others wonder and seek explanations from qualified teachers. Scholars wrote texts to explain the meaning and logically prove why such statements are true.

(1) Meaningless shastras are texts that, for example, go into detail to argue whether birds have teeth or not. Such literature is of no help to anyone and does not encourage spiritual practice. Studying them is of no help or benefit to anyone.
(2) Incorrect shastras convey wrong meanings. For instance, there are texts that try to explain that if one dies in a war, one will attain liberation, but dying in anger and rage that every war always entails is of no benefit to anyone at all.

(3) Meaningful shastras convey beneficial thoughts. Studying this type of treatise will definitely be good for oneself.
(4) Deceptive shastras mislead people. There was once a king in ancient India who had a beautiful daughter he wished to see married, so he wrote a text in which he said that things happen for no reason at all and haphazardly. He argued that peas are round and thorns are sharp without a cause, implying that even though his daughter grew up in a hothouse atmosphere, there would be no reason to worry about marrying her.

(5) Heartless shastras are texts that have no compassionate message. Once I came across a group of Hinduascetics at the Marataka Caves who were sitting around a burning log and inhaling the smoke. I asked them why they were doing this, and they answered that they were practising asceticism as they had read. Now, a teaching of this kind only causessuffering for such practitioners and does not help anyone at all.

There are six types of shastras that one does not need: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8. One needs the treatises that have a meaning, that show how to eradicate suffering, and that are devoted to helping us practice: numbers 3, 6, and 9.

The tradition of writingshastras originated in India, where scholars would compile and comment specific subjects presented in the sutras. In Tibet, another tradition arose and developed. Masters would commence a commentary by first composing an outline of the entire text they were presenting. Their treatises begin with a short summary, and then they wrote a detailed explanation. This approach makes it easier for the teacher and for students. It is difficult understanding an outline which summarizes an entire text, often referred to as “root texts,” and that is also why shastras were written.

In the Buddhist tradition it is the custom when writing a treatise to begin with the name of the treatise, then to pay homage, and often to pledge to write the treatise. This is done so that the author doesn’t encounter any obstacles while writing a book and so that the text presenting the Buddha’s words benefits others in the future without any hindrances. The supplication is written with the wish that when it is finished and others study, contemplate, and meditate, they will encounter no obstacles but will be able to master the training and practices that the author hoped to convey.

NamoGuru means “homage to the Guru,” “homage to the teacher.” This is written because when one practices the Dharma, in particular meditation, one needs to rely upon a teacher for instructions. If one meditates without a guide, the meditation may be faulty. In the same way as one needs a guide to show the way to a place one wishes to visit, one can end up where one didn’t want to go without one. With a guide, it is easier taking the right road and it is more likely that one will arrive at the destination one set out to reach. It is the same with the practice of meditation. One needs a teacher because one has no experience. One needs someone who can instruct, “If you meditate in this way, then you will have that kind of experience, and when you have that kind of experience, this is what you should do.” Trying to meditate without a guide may be all right but may go wrong. Even if everything goes well, there are different ways of practicing meditation. There might be a long way, there might be a short way, so one needs to have a teacher who has experience in meditation and who can guide one in one’s practice. This is important for the practice of meditation in general but especially for Mahamudra and Dzogchen. That is why The MahamudraPrayer begins with homage to the teacher.

What are impure and pure levels of being? Although things are in the absolutesensevoidness or the purenature, on the relative level things manifest in reliance upon one another; they depend upon each other; they originate, one from the other. Impure levels of being are perceiving and believing that things are real and existindependently, whereas the true nature of all things is emptiness. Appearances aren’t wrong; rather one’s way of relating to them - as though they were final and real - is mistaken. It is due to emptiness that things arise and cease again and it is due to their unimpeded self-expression that they incessantly arise. On the relative level, things appear but in truth are not existent, i.e., have no independentreality of their own.

“Though beginningless, it has an end.
It is pure by nature and has the quality of permanence.
It is unseen because it is obscured by a beginningless covering,
Like, for example, a golden statue that has been obscured.”
That was taught (by the Buddha).

Some students may think that the first sentence after the homage, Though beginningless, it has an end, is quite strange and could argue that samsara must have a beginning somewhere and at some time. In fact, many people insist that anything and everything must have a beginning. But this is not so. Let us look at the example of a flower. Where did the flower originate? It came from a sprout, and the sprout grew from a seed. Where did the seed originate? It came from last year’s flower, and last year’s flower came from a seed that was a product of a previous year’s flower – on and on, into the past. We clearly understand that there is no beginning and will never be found, no matter how hard people try. Similarly, the succession of lives in samsara has no beginning.

This means that the Tathagatagarbha, the Buddha nature, has two qualities. Some people think that it is not faultless, but this is not so. It is immaculate and has no defect whatsoever. It is also permanent, i.e., it is continuously present, at all times, and therefore has the quality of permanence.

Four qualities of the Buddha nature have been presented: It is beginningless, ends samsara, is by naturepure, and is permanent. One may wonder why it cannot be seen. The Karmapa tells us that
“It is unseen, because it is obscured by a beginningless covering.”

That is to say, it is covered and therefore cannot be seen, the fifth characteristic of the Tathagatagarbha, which is compared to a golden statue that has been concealed.

In the Uttaratantrashastra, Maitreyanatha presented the simile of someone possessing a piece of gold that fell from his hands and was lost in the rubbish around his feet. One day an impoverished man came along and built his shack on the mess. He lived there, atop the lump of gold, destitute for food and clothes. The gold could not reveal itself, and the poor man could not see it hidden in the dirt under his hut. A clairvoyant could, and one day someone with such abilities walked by the shack. Out of compassion, he told the beggar that he only needed to dig for the puregold under his house and all his worries would stop.

He tells us that there is the element of beginningless time, the element that is the essence of the Tathagatas, and that it has been present within since time without beginning. It is the location of all magnificent qualities, too. It exists within all living beings, without exception, and nobody is privileged before or above anyone else. Whoever practices the instructions that Lord Buddha gave, can attain the final result, nirvana, because

“Though beginningless, it has an end.
It is pure by nature and has the quality of permanence.
It is unseen because it is obscured by a beginningless covering.
Like, for example, a golden statue that has been obscured.”
That was taught (by the Buddha).

Many texts speak about “four times.” The first three refer to the past, present, and future, which are relativetruths because they are mental constructs, i.e., they are designated by the mind. For example, the present day is called “today,” the past day “yesterday” - a negation of the word “today” - and the coming day “tomorrow,” but there is nothing definite or conclusive about these statements other than functionality. That is why there is beginningless-ness, the fourth dimension. Whoever practices the teachings given by Lord Buddha can achieve that recognition, since

The fifth description of the Buddha nature is that it exists in the present moment. One may wonder whether it undergoes any changes or transformations. No, it does not. It is pure and is always immaculate, but due to the delusionsarising from the ground of ignorance we are not able to see it. The example of gold was presented earlier, i.e., although gold may be buried under the earth for thousands of years, it never undergoes a change but always remains pure. The only reason why the gold is not seen is because the earth covers it. Likewise, although the Buddha nature is always present, it never undergoes a change and always remains untouched. The only reason why the true nature is not seen is because it is obscured by the thoughtsarising from ignorant conceptualisation, which is the nature of samsara.

“The End”

Therefore, there is samsara.
If they (incorrect conceptualisations) are dispelled, there is nirvana,
Which is termed “the end.”

Dharma means, “to hold,” “something held and prevented from falling.” The Tibetanequivalent, chos, has the connotation “to correct,” “to remedy,” “to alter,” which means that one corrects something by removing imperfections and by developing values of worth. Is an elimination of imperfections and a development of qualities possible? Yes. Dhatu means “space” and refers to “the expanse of space.” It is truly possible to do so many things in the vast expanse of space; we can stand, walk, or fly. Everything we are able to do would not be possible without all-inclusive space - dharmadhatu, the vast expanse that does not impede the elimination of shortcomings and the development of worth. The ordinary mind can work on eliminating faults and on developing positive qualities and that is why it is called dharmadhatu, “the realm of dharmas, existents/phenomena” or “the realm of the truth, the Buddha’s teachings.”

(1) Despondency, the first fault that can arise from having wrong thoughts about the Buddha nature, means losing hope. One may feel that one cannot eliminate the many shortcomings one has and does not believe that one can develop noble qualities of being. The teachings on the Buddha nature dispel despondency by showing that one truly has the strength to work on reducing and eliminating any weaknesses or misgivings and that one has the ability to work on developing and increasing values inherent within.

(2) Hurting beings less fortunate than oneself is the second fault that can arise from having erroneous thoughts about the true. If one denies that others have the Buddha nature, one might even think that there is nothing wrong with hurting those one considers low or inferior. In some countries there is the caste-system and those born into what is considered a lower caste are treated badly or are not even offered a chance to participate in a society that deems itself fair and just. Some people are more learned than others and can mistakenly believe they will achieve more than those who are less learned. In some countries men are considered superior to women and even deprive them of humanitarian rights. The teachings on the Buddha nature tell us that all living beings have the Buddha nature and that nobody is privileged, i.e., it is not the case that some have the true nature and others do not.

(3) Holding on to what is not true is the third fault that can arise from having erroneous ideas about the true. Thinking that only the elite or rich are endowed with the Tathagatagarbha and ignoring that everyone has it means fostering what is not true.

(5) Having pride of possessing a few qualities is the fifth wrong assumption. Someone may be proud of having developed a few qualities and then looks down on others as less advanced. However, if one knows that all living beings have the Buddha nature, then one sees that nobody – not even oneself - is better than anyone else. This fault is also eradicated through these teachings.

Its unceasing manifestation
(Is taught) to have sixty-four qualities,
Though that is (just) a simplified description.
It is said that each of the sixty-four has millions (of qualities).

The Buddha nature unremittingly manifests sixty-four invaluable qualities, a condensed number in comparison to the real. Actually, each quality has millions. In general, the sixty-four are divided into those of the dharmakaya and those of the two rupakayas. Rangjung Dorje elaborated the thirty-two unsurpassable qualities of the dharmakaya.

(4) Knowledge of aptitudes means that a Buddharecognizes the various capabilities of each and all in their toil to worthy themselves truthfully. For instance, some students may have trained in intellectualising but not be diligent; others may have much endeavour but have little understanding. In general, students can have preponderance for one or a combination of the five types of aptitudes: understanding, diligence, mindfulness, faith, and samadhi.

(5) Knowledge of aspirations: Some pupils may be keen on listening to the teachings, others intent on contemplating them. There are also students who prefer to meditate. Many people are interested in the Hinayana, others in the Mahayana. A Buddhaknows which instructions people can relate to and patiently teaches them, accordingly and adequately, how to determinedly work on the straight course in their quest for what is reliable and true.

(5) The absence of a variety of identifications means that there is never any deception in the mind of a Buddha. Variety of identifications is particularly in reference to the extremes of samsara and nirvana, rejection and acquisition.

(7) The possession of an undeteriorating aspiration: A Buddha continuously aspires to teach the dharma to students in accordance with their capabilities. It is never the case that a Buddha wishes to help sometimes and hesitates on other occasions. At all times, he tirelessly wishes to help and guide all those he sees laden with suffering and pain.

(10) Samadhi: A Buddha abides in the state of meditativeabsorption, always wakeful and aware. The sam in the Sanskrit term samadhi means “together with” or “altogether.” The verb samadhi means “to hold, fix” or “put together.” Samadhi therefore has the primary meaning of “joining or combining, the union of different parts” and thus is a state of agreement that can only be a reality when based on reciprocal harmony and joy. The word is also used for a deep state of meditation. The Tibetanword, ting-nge-’dzin, is defined as meaning literally “truly held,” i.e., “a one-pointed state of meditation.”

(14) Every spoken word preceded by wisdom: Every word a Buddha speaks is a word of spoken value. Every word he spoke had a meaning and purpose and continues benefiting others irrevocably. Possessing the true and steady eye of wisdom, a Buddhaknows what needs to be said and sees the results when shared and conveyed.

It is not the case that living beings do not have the thirty-two qualities of the dharmakaya and that they are newly created when the final stage of practice reveals the true. The wonderful qualities are always present within the Buddha nature that everyone has, but the incidental stains momentarily conceal them. It is through practice that the stains are removed and a practitioner is able to right his or her inmost being. The thirty-two qualities that a Buddha possesses manifest in everyone when the Buddha nature is free. For example, as long as clouds obscure the bright sun, no sunlight can shine unhindered to and through us; when the clouds disperse, the sunlight shines freely. It is just like that with the Buddha nature too.

One needs to know how things really are in order to appreciate the preciousjewel one already and always possesses, even while it is tucked away. We need the teachings Lord Buddha imparted and the nobleThird Karmapa generously shared with us:

While abiding in a state of meditation, nothing needs to be eliminated, nothing needs to be added or won. The Buddha nature and the own mind are identical, so there is nothing missing, nothing new needs to be created, nothing old needs to be rejected or taken away. For example, even though gold may be covered with stains, it always remains pure. The Buddha nature can also be compared with water. Being polluted, the clarity of water is hazy, while the water itself remains pure. In the same vein, the Buddha nature is momentarily obscured and therefore not manifest because of the kleshas and all they entail, but it always remains immaculate, precious, and real.

There is nothing whatever to be removed.
There isn’t the slightest thing that needs to be added.
The truth is truly seen.

Nothing needs to be added or obtained, nothing needs to be eliminated or discarded in order to reveal what is innately present. All meaningful qualities, that Rangjung Dorje generously summarized and presented in this most encouraging treatise, abide within the Buddha nature that always and already is the ground of each and everyone. One only needs to look at one’s own inmost being to realize that it is present as one’s own true nature. For example, when one analyses the eight types of consciousness, one discovers that the mind can be distinguished and described in relation to someone perceiving experiences and appearances, which are merely incidental stains that obscure the true. The Buddha nature cannot be fragmented or turned upside down to accommodate an idea, since

For example, the qualities of an encrusted
Beryl are not evident.
When it is cleaned with yak-hair cloth and saltywater,
And cleaned with vinegar and woollen cloth,
And cleaned with purewater and Benares cotton,Purified, it becomes the jewel that fulfils all needs and desires.

The Third Karmapa presented the example of a beryl gem that is hidden under the ground and covered by layers and layers of mud and dirt to exemplify why the Buddha nature is not seen. One needs to dig deeply to unearth it and then one must first remove the coarse layer that encrusts the rare gem by washing it with saltwater and by scrubbing it with a very rough cloth. The text reads, yak-hair cloth, which is an adaptation of an Indian simile. Once the coarse layer of dirt has been removed, one needs to wash it in vinegar and rub it gently with a felt cloth. Finally, one needs to wash it in clean water and polish it with soft cotton so that it reveals its true brilliance. The preciousgem can only be completely clean and sparkle visibly after having undergone the entire cleansing process.

Through example, Rangjung Dorje demonstrated what it is like to be an ordinary being working towards achieving values of unfailing worth, which is Buddhahood. He chose the beryl to exemplify the true nature of the mind, the marvellous Buddha nature, which is obscured by the three incidental stains that conceal it.

When incorrect conceptualisation
Encounters correct conceptualisation,
Just as both (kindling-) sticks are burned by the fire,
there is freedom from (both) conceptualisations.
There is the freedom from the concepts of elimination,
Remedies, suchness, and the idea of a result.

Incorrect conceptualisations arise while in a state of delusion. How is incorrect thinking overcome?

The remedy against incorrect conceptualisations is resorting to correct conceptualisations, again and again. Rangjung Dorje presented the example of igniting a fire by rubbing two sticks against each other. Eventually, the fire that was lit by rubbing the sticks burns both sticks, too. In the same way, correct and incorrect thoughts and ideas, that are illusions, are burnt in the fire, too, i.e., when there is freedom from concepts of elimination then there is freedom from what brought on the elimination, namely the remedy.

One aspect of the changeless nature is called “natural purity,” the other is called “freedom from incidental stains.” During the ordinary and impure states, the Buddha nature is present and unaffected by any stains, since it is by naturepure. When it is cleansed of what concealed it, then the marvellous Buddha nature is free of anything that obscured it. The only difference between the two aspects in time is when the true nature was obscured and when not.

As it was before, it is the same after.
It is the changeless Buddha nature.
The “change” is becoming free of the stains.

The Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, continued with the next section that deals with refuting and proving incorrect and correct views, respectively. There is a deeper meaning to refuting and proving views than just finding faults with others. For instance, some treatises on the Buddha nature may have grammatical or interpretative errors, and those faults need to be corrected. Mistakes may be small, they may be big, but they may not be, which is the reason why refutations and proof is carried out, to avoid reiterating errors that do have misleading consequences. Scholars always engage in a dialecticaldiscourse in order to spot such flaws so that pupils learn to be critical and to recognize them, too.

The great scholars and Siddhas of the past went through the tremendous task and did not shy away from any hardships to preserve the teachings Lord Buddha imparted so sincerely and flawlessly. They felt extremely obliged to explain the meaning of the Buddha’s teachings correctly by meticulously composing treatises. If an error in a treatise slipped in, it was not considered mischievous or insulting to engage in critical rounds of refutations and proof; on the contrary, it encouraged authors to be more demanding of themselves so that mistakes would not occur.

Rangjung Dorje took the pain upon himself to write the next verse that presented arguments others may erroneously have.

These words refute the view that there is complete cessation at Buddhahood, which is not the case at all. Buddhahood is not a final resting ground – it is not static indifference or neglect. Rather, it is the utmost reward of the marvellous plenitude that the Buddha nature reveals in the form of the rupakayas that tirelessly reach out in words and acts of love and great compassion, without reservations, to those ready and able to beautify themselves worthily.

The nirmanakaya has two qualities: it is spontaneous and it is uninterrupted. Spontaneous activity means that a Buddha never grows weary or exerts effort to teach and help others. As it is, some people receive the teachings and practice them for their personal relief. Others may think that they can benefit all beings and practice for this reason. There are other pupils who wish to share the teachings, while others think the teachings are not important and discard them heedlessly. However, the supreme nirmanakaya continuously teaches without hesitation, without reservations. The uninterrupted and spontaneous activities and teachings of the nirmanakaya never end or stop.

There are non-Buddhists who claim that one cannot attain Buddhahood and argue that when gold is melted into fluid or water into steam, both gold and water eventually return to their former state. That is why they insist that one cannot attain Buddhahood without returning to the former state, which - as we saw - is delusive. However, this is not the case because when one attains Buddhahood, one has gained recognition of all things as they really are and consequently one cannot fall back into illusion and delusion. Siddhas and scholars show through example that the nature of gold is solid and does not become or turn hard. Likewise, the true nature of the mind is not defiled and therefore it isn’t possible for a Buddha to return to incidental stains that never were real anyway.

Can stains arise again?

There will never (again) be the appearance of the stains
Because there is freedom from differentiating conceptualisation.

Once imperfections have been removed, they no longer exist for a Buddha, and it would be wrong to say that they do. Once the resplendent qualities have unfolded in a Buddha, it would be wrong to say that such extraordinary qualities do not exist. Ultimategoodnessexists even while confusion deceives. Once imperfections have been removed, wisdom shines brightly, freely, and openly.

Je Gampopa taught that the definitive view is won by looking into the mind and that it cannot be attained through other means. Should someone seek the definitive view elsewhere, he or she would resemble an impoverished person searching for a jewel that he tucked under the deep wrinkles of his own forehead. There was once a very powerful Tibetan who owned a preciousgem that he hid under the furrows of his own brow. His wrinkles sagged strongly after a long day up and around and even hid the jewel he wished to touch on and off. One night, while trying to sleep, he feared that he had lost it, jumped up from his mat, and ran around in anguish and fret to find his jewel. The more he ran around, the more tired he grew and the more the wrinkles sagged down, covering his jewel all the more deeply. In the same way, in order to gain wisdom that knows itself, one needs to look into one’s own mind to find the preciousgem. If one tries to find wisdom that knows itself by running around or through other methods and means, one will have succumbed to failure that conditionality always entails. The Buddha nature abides within, but this fact is not appreciated or understood. Therefore Rangjung Dorje wrote:

Oh! Because they do not understand this,
The children wander in the ocean of samsara.

The teachings that the Glorious Third Karmapa gave us are so very important. It is an extreme honour to understand them correctly and unmistakably. NobleRangjung Dorje revealed the fruit to the true within and prayed that his disciples and pupils would understand and cherish these teachings in perfect truthfulness.